UN inspectors partially returned to Iran following attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, prompting protests from Tehran officials who say strict preconditions were violated. Iran's foreign minister stated inspectors will not visit bombed sites and that the return was endorsed by the supreme national security council, limited to Bushehr refuelling oversight under the NPT. The IAEA confirmed inspectors were back in Iran. Iranian MPs argued the readmission breached a July law suspending broad cooperation with the UN watchdog unless territorial integrity and scientists' security were guaranteed. The protests reflect tensions between nationalist sentiment and the risk of sanctions or further attacks.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, tried to quell the backlash by saying the inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would not be visiting any of the bombed sites and that discussions about these were still to be had. He said the return had been endorsed by Iran's supreme national security council and that the inspectors would be allowed to visit the Bushehr nuclear site to oversee refuelling only a role required by the international nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
We have approved a law in the assembly that any type of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency will be suspended unless the territorial integrity, security of nuclear scientists, and inherent rights of Iran are fully ensured, and this is confirmed by the report of the Atomic Energy Organization [of Iran] and the supreme national security council, he said. If anyone acts against this resolution, they are guilty and will be sentenced to a sixth-degree punishment.
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